Greetings from the Odinson,
The Rogues Gallery is the group of villains who repeatedly plague our hero, the city and citizens of the city under his protection, and in some cases the world. In the final installment of my Rogues Gallery series I will take a look at the giants, demons, and dark gods that threaten Asgard and Midgard.
Part 11: Thor’s Rogues Gallery
The Wrecking Crew – The Wrecking Crew are the everyman super villains. When construction worker and all around dirt bag Dirk Garthwaite was imbued with Asgardian magic he became the powerhouse known as the Wrecker. After his first encounter and subsequent defeat by Thor, Dirk befriended Dr. Eliot Franklin, Brian Philip Calusky, and Henry Camp. Using his crowbar, the magical conduit for his power, he divided his divine might evenly among the four of them. Armed with a wrecking ball Eliot took to calling himself Thunderball. Calusky and Camp became Piledriver and Bulldozer, respectively. These beefy, bone breaking bad guys have gone on to make a career of becoming a thorn in the side of the Thunder God and his allies, the Avengers. Must Read: Thor #148, 149, 171, 304, 418, 426, 427, and 428; Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars TPB; Avengers: Under Siege TPB; Spectacular Spider-Man #125 and 126; Avengers (1997-2004 3rd Series) #15, 16, 18 and 77-81; Alpha Flight #119; Defenders #17, 18, and 19; Iron Fist #11 and 12; Marvel Comics Presents #5; Omega Flight: Alpha to Omega TPB; Thor: Across All Worlds TPB; Fantastic Four #355; Iron Man #171 and 251; and Amazing Spider-Man #248.
Absorbing Man – (Excerpt from Rogues Gallery Part 3: the Hulk) Crusher Creel, empowered by Asgardian black magic, is easily one of the most dangerous men walking the earth. He possesses the uncanny ability to absorb the properties of anything he touches, thus absorbing its strength or power. He can become as hard and strong as steel, as elusive as liquid, or as deadly as fire. He even once threatened the very throne of Asgard by absorbing the nigh omnipotent Odinforce. Crusher’s battles with the Hulk, Thor, and the Avengers are the stuff of legend. His girlfriend, Titania, is a powerhouse whose super-human strength rivals that of the She-Hulk. Rarely will you find a more universally respected, or rather feared, super-villain in any universe. His only weakness is that he isn’t the smartest guy around. And it’s his lack of intelligence that usually leads to his downfall. Must Reads: Incredible Hulk #125, 209, 261, and 348; Thor (1962-1996 1st Series) #114, 120, 121, 122, 123, 206, 376, 436, and 447; Avengers #183 and 184; Amazing Spider-Man #283 and 429; Thor (1998-2004 2nd Series) 14, 26, 27, and 55; Captain America #24; Daredevil #360; Dazzler #18, and Quasar #5.
Hulk – Yes, the Jade Giant makes yet another list. These two titans have engaged in some of the most epic battles in comic book history. It is the great debate …who’d win if these two fought? When it comes to super-human strength these two are at the top of the list. Even though the Thunder God can move mountains and tear the earth asunder with his bare hands, the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger the Hulk gets. So far there seems to be no limit to the strength he can amass. “Hulk, is the strongest one there is!” However, the Prince of Asgard is second to none when it comes to courage, cunning, and fighting skills honed over the course of a millennia. In divine power he is second in his pantheon only to the nigh omnipotent Odin, King of the Aesir. Plus, Thor wields a weapon (his mystic mallet, Mjolnir) that has given the Celestials and even the mighty Galactus pause. When these two clash it is always a classic. Must Read: Avengers #3, Defenders #10; Incredible Hulk #255, 300, 422, and 440; What If #45; Thor #112, 385, 489; Hulk #5; Avengers/Defenders War HC.
The Destroyer – Odin, King of the Norse Gods, knew that the space deities known as the Celestials would someday return to pass judgment on planet Earth. In preparation for this coming Odin created the Destroyer. The Destroyer is an eight-foot-tall armored engine of mass destruction. It is a lifeless construct that is powered by human, or divine, souls. The Destroyer’s strength rivals that of even mighty Thor. It is impervious to harm. The Destroyer has even withstood the powerful blows of Mjolnir, Thor’s mystic hammer. The Destroyer can fire immensely powerful blasts of force from its hands and its stare can disintegrate matter. Easily one of the Odinson’s most deadly adversaries, the Destroyer actually succeeded once in killing Thor. The Destroyer is the one opponent that even the Thunder God has never truly defeated. What else can you expect from a creature that is empowered with the Odinforce and was intended to do battle with the Celestials? Must Read: Thor (1962-1996 1st Series) #118, 119, 150, 151, 152, 224, 265, 266, 381, 382, 476, and 477; Thor (1998-2004 2nd Series) #1 and 2, 12, 36, 37, and 38; Fantastic Four #172; and Incredible Hulk #461.
Surtur – Surtur is the demonic ruler of the fiery realm of Muspelheim. He is an ancient creature whose origins go back to the universe’s primordial beginnings. His power is unrivaled in all the Nine Worlds. Many times he has tried to ignite the flames of Ragnarok and every time Odin and the gods of Asgard have stood in his way, albeit barely and not without great sacrifice. Odin himself has sacrificed his own life, twice, to topple this fiery titan. Now, to protect the cosmos from this apocalyptic threat, the All-Father must spend eternity in purgatory engaging in mortal combat with Surtur. Everyday they battle and every night they heal only to start anew the next day. If Odin should falter even once, Surtur would be free to destroy all life in the universe in a fiery holocaust that would consume all of existence. Must Read: Thor (1962-1996 1st Series) #97, 99, 176, 177, 349-353, 400, and 425; Thor (1998-2004 2nd Series) 38-41; Tales of Asgard #1; Thor: Marvel Legends - Walt Simonson TPB Vol. 2; and Thor (2007 3rd Series) #7-8.
The Midgard Serpent – This leviathan is the sea creature of legend. This is the beast that haunted the dreams of countless sailors from the days of yore. Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is said to be so massive that the length of its body coils and wraps around the entire Earth. Thor has encountered, bantered, and battled this monster on several occasions. It is prophesized that the Midgard Serpent shall be the Odinson’s last opponent. It is foretold that on the day of Ragnarok Thor shall battle and slay the great serpent, take ten steps, then fall dead, succumbing to the serpent’s poisonous bite. Never was this depicted more beautifully than in Walt Simonson’s homage to this great battle in “Mjolnir’s Song.” Must Read: Thor (1962-1996 1st Series) #273, 278, 327, 379, 380, 486, 487, and 488.
Loki – Loki is the God of Evil and half-brother to the mighty Thor, God of Thunder. For millennia this trickster has plagued both the denizens of Midgard (Earth) and fabled Asgard. Not blessed with the Odinson’s great strength, Loki was able to become the Thunder God’s rival in power by studying the ways of sorcery. It was because of the threat of Loki that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes banded together to form the Avengers and vanquish foes no single hero can stand alone against. Loki is directly and indirectly responsible for some of the most dangerous criminals walking around today (the Absorbing Man and the Wrecking Crew). He was the architect of the “Acts of Vengeance.” He’s actually conquered Asgard before. He orchestrated Ragnarok, the end of days. Loki is truly one of the most dangerous evil doers in the Marvel Universe. He is so manipulating and sneaky that even the God of Thunder never knows when and where this arch fiend will strike next. Long live Loki, the Prince of Lies! Must Read: Thor (1962-1996 1st Series) #85, 91, 92, 94, 108, 116, 147, 167, 200, 207, 275, 359, and 401; Marvel Masterworks: Avengers HC Vol. 1; Graphic Universe: Thor and Loki GN; Avengers Disassembled: Thor TPB; Loki TPB; Thor Annual 2000; Alpha Flight #50; Deadpool #37; Gods of Asgard GN; X-Men: The Asgardian Wars TPB; X-Men/Alpha Flight: The Gift TPB; Amazing Spider-Man #503, 504, and 505; and the Acts of Vengeance storyline.
Honorable Mentions: Ulik, the Enchantress, Skurge the Executioner, Mangog, Ares, Pluto, Mephisto, the Celestials, Ego the Living Planet, the Crusader, Hela, the Forgotten One, the Grey Gargoyle, Set, the Juggernaut, Karnilla, Kurse, Lorelei, Mr. Hyde, Radioactive Man, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Fafnir, Hyperion (the evil one), Malekith, Replicus, Perrikus and the Dark Gods, Galactus, Ymir, the Enchanters, Thanos, Desak the God Killer, and Ragnarok.
Even a hero as brave and powerful as Thor finds it challenging when faced with one of the names on this list. But lucky for the denizens of fabled Asgard and Midgard, they don’t call him the Mighty Thor for nothing. Thus, concludes my series on the best Rogues Galleries in comics. I hope you enjoyed them.
This is Odinson bidding thee farewell
